Testifying at a Senate (Australia) hearing St Vincent de Paul Society’s financial counsellors have found that up to 95 per cent of their clients are significantly hit by bank penalty fees and this had pushed some people over the financial edge when they had been struggling to make ends meet.
The text should become available on the website of the Australian Senate
Other examples of advocacy by the Society in Australia
Voice of the Poor – SVDP advocacy in the U
Thanks to Tim Williams, CM for alerting us to this example of advocacy.
Tags: Advocacy, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Predatory lending is also a big problem in the United States, often targeting the elderly. As explained by Ann Goldweber, director of the elder law clinic at St. John’s University Law School, “[l]enders target elderly people because they usually own their own homes free and clear of any encumbrance. Elderly women living alone are singled out because many of them did not handle the household’s finances and may not be sophisticated in financial matters.” Through the clinic, part of the Law School’s commitment to its Vincentian mission, Ann and her students do great work in representing a number of elderly who have been scammed by predatory lenders. Read more about the clinic here: http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/graduate/law/academics/Elder.